So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast
320 episodes - English - Latest episode: 22 days ago - ★★★★★ - 156 ratingsSo to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast takes an uncensored look at the world of free expression through the law, philosophy, and stories that define your right to free speech. Hosted by FIRE's Nico Perrino.
New episodes post every other Thursday.
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Episodes
Ep. 210: The First Amendment at the Supreme Court
March 29, 2024 14:45 - 1 hour - 76.2 MB“I have never seen a Supreme Court term that is as consequential as this one is going to be,” said FIRE Chief Counsel Bob Corn-Revere, previewing this term’s First Amendment cases. On today’s show, we analyze the oral arguments in four of those cases: NRA v. Vullo, Murthy v. Missouri (formerly Missouri v. Biden), Moody v. NetChoice, LLC, and NetChoice, LLC, v. Paxton. We also discuss the court’s decision in two cases involving government officials blocking their critics on social media....
Ep. 209: ‘Is money speech?’ with Robert Breedlove
March 25, 2024 18:34 - 2 hours - 176 MBThere is a recurring debate in the free speech community regarding whether money is speech. Bitcoin-focused entrepreneur, writer, and philosopher Robert Breedlove joins us today to help resolve the debate. Describing money as “the language of human action,” Robert makes the case that money, like the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, is information and should be free from government regulation and manipulation. During this longer-than-usual episode, Robert and Nico discuss everything from Keynes...
Ep. 208: Dodging censorship in Russia
March 14, 2024 17:47 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBOn today’s episode, we discuss Alexei Navalny’s death, Vladimir Putin, censorship in Russia, and Samizdat Online, an anti-censorship platform that grants users living under authoritarian regimes access to news and other censored content. Yevgeny “Genia” Simkin is the co-founder of Samizdat Online and Stanislav “Stas” Kucher is its chief content officer. Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 2:25 Alexei Navalny 8:53 The state of Russian opposition 20:48 The origins of Samizdat Onli...
Ep. 207 Free speech news: NetChoice, Taylor Swift, October 7, and Satan
February 29, 2024 05:05 - 1 hour - 115 MBOn today’s free speech news roundup, we discuss the recent NetChoice oral argument, Taylor Swift, doxxing, October 7 fallout on campus, and Satan in Iowa. Joining us on the show are Alex Morey, FIRE director of Campus Rights Advocacy; Aaron Terr, director of Public Advocacy; and Ronnie London, our general counsel. Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 0:44 NetChoice oral arguments 19:39 Taylor Swift cease and desist letter 29:20 Publishing unlawfully obtained information 39:28 Ha...
Ep. 206: CJ Hopkins compared modern Germany to Nazi Germany. Now he’s standing trial.
February 15, 2024 05:05 - 1 hour - 102 MBJ Hopkins is an American playwright, novelist, and political satirist. He moved to Germany in 2004. He publishes a self-titled blog on Substack and is the editor of Consent Factory Publishing. CJ’s most recent book, “The Rise of the New Normal Reich,” draws a parallel between Nazi Germany and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2022, it was banned on Amazon in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. In the months that followed, CJ was charged by German authorities with vio...
Ep. 205: An anarchist’s perspective with Michael Malice
February 01, 2024 14:26 - 1 hour - 106 MBMichael Malice is a self-described “anarchist without adjectives” and is the author of several books, including most recently “The White Pill: A Tale of Good and Evil.” He is also the host of the podcast, “YOUR WELCOME,” and the subject of the biographical comic book, “Ego & Hubris: The Michael Malice Story.” Michael joins us today to explain why he hates the term “free speech,” and gives his thoughts on McCarthyism, anarchism, Twitter, and more. Timestamps 0:00 Introduct...
Ep. 205: An anarchist’s perspective, with Michael Malice
February 01, 2024 14:26 - 1 hour - 106 MBMichael Malice is a self-described “anarchist without adjectives” and is the author of several books, including most recently “The White Pill: A Tale of Good and Evil.” He is also the host of the podcast, “YOUR WELCOME,” and the subject of the biographical comic book, “Ego & Hubris: The Michael Malice Story.” Michael joins us today to explain why he hates the term “free speech,” and gives his thoughts on McCarthyism, anarchism, Twitter, and more. Timestamps 0:00 Introduct...
Ep. 204: “Liar in a Crowded Theater” with Jeff Kosseff
January 18, 2024 05:10 - 1 hour - 86.1 MBJeff Kosseff is an associate professor of cybersecurity law in the United States Naval Academy’s Cyber Science Department. He is the author of four books including his most recent, “Liar in a Crowded Theater: Freedom of Speech in a World of Misinformation.” He has also written books about anonymous speech and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 2:30 Jeff’s focus on the First Amendment 4:27 What is Section 230? 9:30 “Liar in a Crowded...
Ep. 203: ‘Undefeated’ with Coach Bill Courtney
January 04, 2024 05:10 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBBill Courtney is an American football coach, entrepreneur, author, and the subject of the academy award winning 2011 documentary “Undefeated,” which tells the story of Courtney leading a high school football team in an economically depressed area of Memphis, Tenn. to the playoffs. Courtney is the host of the An Army of Normal Folks podcast, in which he shares stories of “ordinary people doing extraordinary things in and around their communities.” His book “Against the Grain: A Coach's Wisd...
Ep. 202: The backpage.com saga
December 21, 2023 15:49 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBWe’re joined today by Elizabeth Nolan Brown, Robert Corn-Revere, and Ronnie London to discuss the history and verdict of the Backpage trial. Backpage.com was an online classified advertising service founded in 2004. As a chief competitor to Craigslist, Backpage allowed users to post ads to categories such as personals, automotive, rentals, jobs and — most notably — adult services. In 2018, the website domain was seized by the FBI and its executives were prosecuted under federal prostituti...
Ep 201: Crisis on Campus - X Space recording
December 12, 2023 16:38 - 57 minutes - 79 MBNico and FIRE President & CEO Greg Lukianoff appeared on an X Space to discuss the fallout from the recent congressional hearing on anti-Semitism involving Harvard President Claudine Gay, MIT President Sally Kornbluth, and former Penn President Liz Magill, who resigned last week following backlash over her testimony. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 1:53 - History of FIRE 5:40 - MIT/Harvard/Penn presidents’ testimony 11:35 - How speech codes are abused and conflict over the definiti...
Ep. 201: Crisis on Campus - X Space recording
December 12, 2023 16:38 - 57 minutes - 79 MBNico and FIRE President & CEO Greg Lukianoff appeared on an X Space to discuss the fallout from the recent congressional hearing on anti-Semitism involving Harvard President Claudine Gay, MIT President Sally Kornbluth, and former Penn President Liz Magill, who resigned last week following backlash over her testimony. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 1:53 - History of FIRE 5:40 - MIT/Harvard/Penn presidents’ testimony 11:35 - How speech codes are abused and conflict over the definiti...
Ep 200: The state of free speech
November 30, 2023 21:22 - 1 hour - 102 MBWe’re joined by First Amendment attorney Marc Randazza and British journalist Brendan O’Neill to discuss the state of free speech in the United States and Europe. Randazza is a First Amendment attorney and the managing partner at Randazza Legal Group. He has represented controversial figures throughout his career, including Alex Jones, Mike Cernovich, Chuck Johnson, and founder of the neo-nazi website the Daily Stormer, Andrew Anglin. O’Neill is a British author and journalist who serve...
Ep. 200: The state of free speech
November 30, 2023 21:22 - 1 hour - 102 MBWe’re joined by First Amendment attorney Marc Randazza and British journalist Brendan O’Neill to discuss the state of free speech in the United States and Europe. Randazza is a First Amendment attorney and the managing partner at Randazza Legal Group. He has represented controversial figures throughout his career, including Alex Jones, Mike Cernovich, Chuck Johnson, and founder of the neo-nazi website the Daily Stormer, Andrew Anglin. O’Neill is a British author and journalist who serve...
Ep. 199: Israel, Hamas, and censorship at home
November 09, 2023 05:10 - 1 hour - 90.1 MBThe FIRE team gets together to discuss the October 7 attacks in Israel and the resulting censorship on college campuses in the United States. FIRE President and CEO Greg Lukianoff, Director of Campus Rights Advocacy Alex Morey, and General Counsel Ronnie London join host Nico Perrino for the conversation. ** We will conduct a listener survey starting Monday, Nov. 13. “So to Speak” listeners who subscribe to the show’s email list will receive an email with a link to the survey. If you ar...
Ep. 198: 2023-24 Supreme Court Preview
October 25, 2023 20:00 - 1 hour - 106 MBThe Supreme Court handed down some big First Amendment victories last term. What lies ahead for the Court in the upcoming term? FIRE Chief Counsel Robert Corn-Revere and FIRE General Counsel Ronnie London join the show to discuss important First Amendment cases that will be heard during the Court’s 2023-24 session. Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 1:47 - Murthy v. Missouri (government jawboning) 14:40 - NRA v. Vullo (government jawboning) 25:49 - NetChoice cases (social medi...
Ep. 197 ‘Are cakes speech?’ with Alliance Defending Freedom’s Kristen Waggoner
October 12, 2023 04:15 - 1 hour - 107 MBPresident, CEO, and general counsel of the Alliance Defending Freedom, Kristen Waggoner, joins us for a discussion on freedom of speech and religious liberty. ADF has played various roles in 74 U.S. Supreme Court victories and since 2011, has won cases before the Court 15 times. According to its website, “ADF is the world's largest legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, marriage and family, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.” ADF has litigated...
Ep. 196 ‘The Identity Trap’ by Yascha Mounk
September 27, 2023 19:29 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MBWriter and academic Yascha Mounk argues that a new set of ideas about race, gender, and sexual orientation have overtaken society, giving rise to a rigid focus on identity in our national debate. In his new book, “The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time,” Yascha seeks to take these ideas seriously, understand their origin, dissect their merits and failings, and offer a path forward to avoid what he calls “the identity trap.” On today’s show, Mounk previews his book and e...
Ep. 195 ‘Don’t Tread on Me,’ misgendering, cancel culture, and three strikes for Texas
September 07, 2023 20:43 - 1 hour - 108 MBFIRE President and CEO Greg Lukianoff and FIRE General Counsel Ronnie London join the show to preview Greg’s new co-authored book on cancel culture and to discuss recent free speech cases and headlines: Transcript: https://www.thefire.org/research-learn/so-speak-podcast-transcript-dont-tread-me-misgendering-cancel-culture-and-three “The Canceling of the American Mind,” by Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott (out Oct. 17) Colorado public school to allow student to display Gadsden flag pat...
Ep. 194 Harvey Silverglate, the beatnik criminal defense attorney
August 24, 2023 04:05 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MBHarvey Silverglate is a criminal defense and civil liberties attorney. He is also the co-founder of FIRE. On today’s show, Harvey defends the work of criminal defense attorneys, explaining why even guilty people must have the right to a robust legal defense. He also shares stories from his life, from growing up in Brooklyn to defending Vietnam War protesters to co-founding FIRE. Transcript www.sotospeakpodcast.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@freespeechtalk Twitter: https://www...
Ep. 193 Can you still have a debate in high school debate?
August 10, 2023 04:10 - 1 hour - 86.9 MBHigh school debate is considered an ideal extracurricular activity for aspiring lawyers, politicians, or anyone seeking to learn the tools of effective communication and persuasion. But a slew of recent reports argue that high school debate is being captured by political ideology, rendering certain arguments off-limits, some debate topics undebatable, and ad hominem attacks fair game. Debate judges disclose their judging paradigms by saying things like, “I will listen to conservative-leani...
Ep. 192 Free speech at the Supreme Court
July 27, 2023 04:10 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MBWe review the Supreme Court’s free speech cases during the 2022-23 term and speculate on what’s in store for the next term. FIRE Vice President of Litigation Darpana Sheth guest hosts and is joined by FIRE Chief Counsel Robert Corn-Revere and FIRE General Counsel Ronnie London. This episode was recorded before a virtual live audience on July 20. Watch a video of the conversation. Transcript Cases discussed: 303 Creative v Elenis Counterman v. Colorado United States v. Hansen...
Ep. 191 Civil liberties and Civil War
July 13, 2023 04:10 - 30 minutes - 42.6 MBIn the last episode of the “So to Speak” podcast, we traced the dramatic story of free speech in the United States from colonial America to the abolitionists' campaign to abolish slavery. In this week’s episode, we pick up where we left off and explore the complicated history and legacy of civil liberties during the American Civil War. Professor and author Joseph R. Fornieri and FIRE Chief Counsel Robert Corn-Revere join the show this week to unpack Abraham Lincoln’s justifications for sus...
Ep. 190 Free speech and Abolitionism
June 28, 2023 04:10 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBLast Constitution Day, we traced the origins of free speech in the United States from colonial America to the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791. In this episode, we jump forward to the antebellum period, where abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass, John Quincy Adams, William Lloyd Garrison, and Angelina Grimké clashed with pro-slavery advocates over the monumental issue of slavery. Journalist and author Damon Root, FIRE Senior Fellow Jacob Mchangama, and Washington and Lee Univ...
Ep. 189 Why should we care about punk rock?
June 14, 2023 04:10 - 1 hour - 86.1 MBNico knows very little about punk rock. On today’s show, Reason magazine’s Nick Gillespie and FIRE Vice President of Communications Matt Harwood do their best to explain to Nico why he and other free speech advocates should care about punk rock. Transcript: https://www.thefire.org/research-learn/so-speak-podcast-transcript-why-should-we-care-about-punk-rock www.sotospeakpodcast.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@freespeechtalk Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk ...
Ep. 188 How to make a winning free speech argument
June 01, 2023 04:10 - 1 hour - 74.5 MBWinning in the court of public opinion is hard. On today’s show, Ewing School founder Bob Ewing shares communications strategies that anyone — including free speech advocates — can use to win in the marketplace of ideas. Prior to founding the Ewing School, Bob was director of communications for the Institute for Justice and pioneered a communications training program for the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Bob is also the author of the Talking Big Ideas Substack, which Nico hi...
Ep. 187 Dominion vs. Fox lawyers reflect on historic case
May 15, 2023 19:18 - 1 hour - 131 MBOn April 18, Fox News agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million to settle a defamation lawsuit stemming from allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The historic settlement came just before the trial was set to begin in a case many saw as having significant First Amendment implications. In this exclusive conversation, attorneys for Fox and Dominion join First Amendment attorney Lee Levine to reflect on what led to the case, its outcome, and the arguments ...
Ep. 186 Killer Mike on free speech, racial justice, and Rap on Trial
April 27, 2023 13:03 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBRocking their tuxedos in preparation for the 2023 FIRE gala in New York City, Host Nico Perrino speaks with rapper and free speech advocate Killer Mike about his journey toward learning the value of free expression. They also discuss the importance of free speech in American history, the value of engaging and arguing with those who disagree with us, why free speech was critical to gaining racial equality, defending rappers and artists being prosecuted for their lyrics, and why polarization...
Ep. 185 Sex, drugs, and free speech (Bob Guccione Jr. and Nick Gillespie)
April 20, 2023 04:10 - 1 hour - 110 MBDoes music censorship still happen in America? Is “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” dead? Is transgression in art and culture celebrated anymore (or was it ever)? From Beyonce and Taylor Swift to Ozzy Osbourne and Robin Thicke, SPIN magazine founder Bob Guccione Jr. and Reason magazine Editor at Large Nick Gillespie join a lively discussion of our current moment in pop culture. Bob also shares some war stories from his fight against the Parents Music Resource Center in the 1980s. Transcript:...
Ep. 184 What’s going on in Florida?
March 28, 2023 17:51 - 1 hour - 88.4 MBWhat’s going on in Florida? Host Nico Perrino and his FIRE colleagues break down the latest efforts to censor speech in the Sunshine State. Show notes: Transcript “VICTORY: After FIRE lawsuit, court halts enforcement of key provisions of the Stop WOKE Act limiting how Florida professors can teach about race, sex” “Thought the ‘Stop WOKE Act’ was bad? A new Florida bill is worse” “Unconstitutional and un-American, Senate Bill 1316 would force bloggers who criticize the government to ...
Ep. 183 The Stanford shout-down with David Lat
March 22, 2023 19:01 - 57 minutes - 79.5 MBUPDATE: Just as this podcast was to be published, Stanford Law School Dean Jenny Martinez sent a 10-page memorandum to the law school community outlining a path forward for the school, including updating school policies to prevent future speaker disruptions and mandatory student free speech training. She also announced that Associate Dean Tirien Steinbach is on leave. – The heckling began almost as soon as Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Kyle Duncan started his invited lecture at S...
Ep. 182 Ilya Shapiro on Fox/Dominion and his ‘cancel culture nightmare’
March 10, 2023 21:47 - 59 minutes - 82.1 MBIlya Shapiro joins the show to discuss the fireworks in the Fox/Dominion defamation lawsuit, his recent speaking appearance at the University of Denver, and his “cancel culture nightmare” at Georgetown University. Shapiro is a senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute. He previously (and briefly) served as executive director and senior lecturer at the Georgetown Center for the Constitution and as a vice president at the Cato Institute. Shapiro will s...
Ep. 181 New York Times v. Sullivan and its future
February 23, 2023 20:53 - 1 hour - 87.6 MBThe seminal 1964 Supreme Court decision in New York Times v. Sullivan limited the ability of public officials to silence their critics by successfully suing them for defamation. Sullivan made “American public officials more accountable, the American media more watchful, and the American people better informed,” said William Rehnquist, the late Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. But Sullivan is increasingly under attack from politicians, activists, and even sitting Justices of the Suprem...
Ep. 180 Super Bowl free speech fumble
February 09, 2023 05:10 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBFIRE’s Will Creeley and Aaron Terr join the show to discuss Phoenix, Arizona’s unconstitutional “clean zone” for Super Bowl LVII, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s effort to get public school students to volunteer for her re-election campaign, recent polling on how much people really know about the First Amendment (sadly, not much), and Indiegogo, Kickstarter, and Crowdfundr canceling fundraisers for comic books they deemed politically unacceptable. We also provide an update on the Hamline U...
Ep. 179 Artificial intelligence: Is it protected by the First Amendment?
January 26, 2023 05:10 - 1 hour - 88.9 MBWhat does the rise of artificial intelligence mean for the future of free speech and the First Amendment? Who is liable for what AI produces? Can you own a copyright for works produced by AI? Does AI itself violate intellectual property rights when it uses others’ information to generate content? What about that Morgan Freeman “deep fake”? And is ChatGPT going to make all of our jobs irrelevant? Show notes: Transcript Guests: Eugene Volokh, professor at UCLA School of Law David Gree...
Ep. 178 The costs of offending religious sensitivities
January 12, 2023 05:10 - 1 hour - 114 MBA faculty member at Hamline University lost her job. Twelve staffers at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were murdered. And Salman Rushdie was repeatedly stabbed. All of them offended certain people’s religious sensitivities. On today’s show, we are joined by Amna Khalid and Michael Moynihan to discuss the risks and costs of teaching, talking, writing, and creating art about religion, particularly Islam. We also discuss the recent #TwitterFiles reporting. Amna Khalid is an ass...
Ep. 177 Are Ann Coulter’s words really ‘violence’?
December 21, 2022 05:10 - 52 minutes - 48.2 MBDo Ann Coulter’s words equal “violence”? Does Emerson College care more about not offending the Chinese Communist Party than protecting student free speech rights? And are faculty political litmus tests back in vogue? FIRE’s Alex Morey and Zach Greenberg join the show to discuss the latest in campus censorship. Please support this show by donating to FIRE before the end of the year: thefire.org/support Show notes: Transcript “San Diego State University: University senate adopts polic...
Ep. 176 Can a graphic designer be compelled to design a website for a same-sex wedding?
December 08, 2022 05:10 - 1 hour - 62 MBHot on the heels of oral argument in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, FIRE’s Ronnie London and David Hudson join the show to discuss the case, as well as other high profile free speech cases at the Supreme Court this year. Show notes: Transcript Watch the video of the podcast conversation 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis Shurtleff v. City of Boston Kennedy v. Bremerton School District Gonzalez v. Google LLC Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith Jack Dani...
Ep. 175 Jawboning, book banning, and LeBron James thinks hate speech isn’t free speech (also Elon Musk … again)
November 22, 2022 05:10 - 1 hour - 66.4 MBFIRE’s new Director of Public Advocacy Aaron Terr and the Cato Institute’s Will Duffield join the show to discuss a slew of recent free speech news. California gets it right on rap lyrics but wrong on coronavirus misinformation. One Texas school district repeatedly ventures into book banning. LeBron James spreads “hate speech” misinformation. Is government “jawboning” censorship? And, yes, Elon Musk . . . again. Show notes: Transcript Watch the video of the podcast conversation “VIC...
Ep. 174 Elon Musk, PayPal, and is New York trying to destroy Twitch?
November 03, 2022 16:42 - 58 minutes - 53.8 MBFIRE’s Will Creeley and Aaron Terr join the show to discuss a slew of recent free speech news: What do we make of Elon Musk buying Twitter? Is PayPal fining its users $2,500 for promoting “misinformation”? Is New York trying to destroy Twitch? And do public employees in Charlottesville, Va., need to shut their mouths to keep their jobs? Also, how’s FIRE’s off-campus expansion going? Show notes: Transcript Open letter to Elon Musk from Greg Lukianoff on preserving free expression on so...
Ep. 173 Does your book need a sensitivity reader?
October 20, 2022 04:10 - 1 hour - 71.8 MBDo books need a special editor who reads for offensive content? And who gets to decide what’s offensive anyway? This week we are joined by authors Kat Rosenfield and Vesper Stamper to discuss censorial trends in book publishing, including the rise of so-called “sensitivity readers” and the sometimes successful campaigns to get books canceled before they are even published. We also explore adjacent debates: Is it appropriate to write outside of one’s identity or lived experience? And ...
Ep. 172 What does the First Amendment protect on social media?
October 05, 2022 04:10 - 1 hour - 64.4 MBDoes the First Amendment to the United States Constitution protect a private social media company’s right to moderate content on its platform? A new ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit says it does not, and that a Texas law preventing viewpoint discrimination on social media platforms is constitutional. The issue is likely bound for the Supreme Court, setting up what is arguably the most consequential First Amendment legal case in a half-century. Institute for Fre...
Ep. 171 Nature Human Misbehavior
September 29, 2022 04:10 - 1 hour - 59.2 MB“Should academic journals appoint themselves social justice gatekeepers?” That is the question journalist and author Jonathan Rauch asks in responding to new ethics guidance from the academic journal Nature Human Behaviour. The journal introduces the guidance by ominously noting that “although academic freedom is fundamental, it is not unbounded.” It then goes on to discuss ways it will restrict publishing research that allegedly harms, stigmatizes, or otherwise “undermines the dignity or r...
Ep. 170 Free speech and the American Founding
September 15, 2022 04:15 - 36 minutes - 33.2 MBThis Saturday, Sept. 17, is Constitution Day. It was on this day in 1787 that delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed America’s Constitution. And while the First Amendment was not ratified until 1791, discussions over the role of free speech and expression in a democratic society were alive long before then. Pepperdine University professor and author Gordon Lloyd joins the show this week to explore how the American conception of free speech came to be, from the colonial era to th...
Ep. 169 The Art of Insubordination
September 01, 2022 04:10 - 1 hour - 67.3 MBWhat can Charles Darwin teach us about dissent? What do the professional basketball careers of Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry tell us about conventional wisdom? On today’s show, George Mason University Professor Todd Kashdan helps us understand the value of principled dissent: what it is, how to do it, and the pitfalls to avoid. He is the author of “The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively.” Show notes: Transcript Todd’s “Provoked” newsletter: “Enjoy new psych...
Ep. 168 Assassin’s veto comes for Rushdie
August 17, 2022 22:19 - 1 hour - 57.1 MBLast week, a would-be assassin attacked Salman Rushdie, author of “The Satanic Verses,” in an apparent attempt to carry out the infamous fatwa placed on Rushdie’s life. Fortunately, Rushdie survived the attack. Vice News Tonight correspondent and “The Fifth Column” podcast co-host Michael Moynihan joins the show to discuss what happened, what it means for free speech, and the history of “The Satanic Verses” controversy. Show notes: Transcript Lara Bazelon’s keynote address at FIRE’s ...
Ep. 167 That Facebook post about abortion could land you in jail
August 11, 2022 04:10 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBWhen the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion in the United States, many people expected states to pass laws restricting access to abortion services. Perhaps less expected was that some lawmakers now seek to pass laws restricting — and criminalizing — speech about abortion services. FIRE Legal Director Will Creeley and FIRE Senior Fellow and former ACLU President Nadine Strossen join the show to discuss their recent essay, “That Facebook...
Ep. 166 Substack, a platform for free speech?
July 21, 2022 04:05 - 46 minutes - 42.6 MBSubstack — the popular newsletter and publishing service — has made a name for itself by swimming against the current: As many technology companies devise new ways to censor or moderate content on their platforms, Substack made free speech one of its core values and, in doing so, has attracted bloggers and journalists from across the political spectrum. “While we have content guidelines that allow us to protect the platform at the extremes, we will always view censorship as a last resort, ...
Ep. 165 Title IX gets twisted again
July 07, 2022 04:05 - 49 minutes - 45.8 MBLast month, the U.S. Department of Education proposed new Title IX regulations that, if implemented, would gut essential free speech and due process rights for college students facing sexual misconduct allegations on campus. Joining us to analyze the regulations and their impact are FIRE’s executive director and author of the book “Twisting Title IX,” Robert Shibley, Allen Harris Law Partner Samantha Harris, and Brooklyn College professor KC Johnson. Show notes: FIRE press release P...
Ep. 164 ‘The First Amendment created gay America’
June 23, 2022 04:15 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MB“Every advance gay people have made in this country has been the result of the exercise of free expression,” argues writer James Kirchick, author of the New York Times bestseller, “Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington.” Transcript: https://www.thefire.org/so-to-speak-podcast-transcript-the-first-amendment-created-gay-america/ www.sotospeakpodcast.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SotoSpeakTheFreeSpeechPodcast Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Facebo...